Howdy all, sorry it took me a bit to post this, but this chapter was hard. Again with the thousand different versions. I couldn't decide what to reveal and what to leave for later.

In my impatient haste to see your reaction, I've posted a very rough copy. Most likely it will be edited in the next couple days, but until then I'm sure you'll still get the point.

Don't forget to send me some feedback, I've really enjoyed all of your comments and critiques so far.

a/n II

It's edited now. All mistakes I missed...well they're just gunna have to stay there until I fix up this story for publication.

The Vampire was gone then, leaving me feeling as if I might pass out. I couldn't have heard him right because it just wasn't possible. Monsters, I had accepted were real, but gods?! They were the fantasies of man in his desperation to find comfort in death and living. A lie to give him purpose, because if gods were the ones that controlled fate, our lives couldn't be meaningless.

"You fear me."

I cried out, stumbling away from his voice and clutched at my chest to keep my heart inside it. At least that answered his question. The...being smiled faintly.

"You needn't worry, little one, had I wanted you dead, I would have eviscerated you by now."

Oh. Well that made it better.

For a moment I was caught on the complete lack of emotion in his voice, save perhaps amusement, but then a wave of nausea hit me and the world seemed to tilt. I fell back against a tree with a groan and blinked. From this angle, I could see the dark stain slowly growing across my shirt.

My throat! How in the fuck had I forgotten my throat?! I slapped a hand back over the wound, sickened to find it still there and instantly my fingers were slick with blood. If Isaac were here, he could tell me the exact amount of blood a person could loose before passing out, or dying. In his absence, I assumed it was very close to the amount I'd already lost.

"Your pulse is slowing, little human, and your skin," the creature stepped forward, titling his head, though he didn't really look concerned, "You are nearly as pale as your leech."

"Am I dying?" I'm not sure why I asked, but he answered just the same.

"Yes."

I laughed, somewhat hysterically and nodded, trying to breathe normally. "Well, I'm glad you can be so honest."

"You would prefer that I lied to you?" he titled his head. For a moment, I was going to respond caustically in light of my eminent death, but the world twisted again and the ground rushed up toward my face. Closing my eyes, I awaited an impact that never came, and nearly shrieked when I found it was because the creature had caught me. I really wasn't comfortable with him so close, dying or not.

"Be still." he said searching my eyes. As his fingers lifted to brush my cheek, I found myself once again lost in his impossible gaze. Harlequin green, like back-lit absinthe. The color seemed almost liquid, swirling within his iris and-

"OW!!" I cried as pain snapped me back to focus. His fingers fell away from my throat, a tiny smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He'd distracted me with his...prettiness. My hand went to the wound but there was nothing left but a dull itch. I opened my mouth, lost the words in a sea of questions, and closed it again.

"You did not think I would claim you just to watch you die?" he asked. He was kneeling beside me, propping me against his thigh, which brought us incredibly close. I didn't like the way his eyes kept drifting to my mouth, or his fingers across the curve of my shoulder. No longer dizzy, I pulled away from him, crawling backward until I hit a tree and pulled myself up. He watched this, not moving to stop me, but maybe that was only because there was nowhere to go if I did try to run.

"Are you really a god?" It felt strange asking this as he stood, uncoiling like a snake. The movement was liquid and somewhat unnerving. Nothing moved like that, not even Isaac.

"I am." he replied. I drew a breath and nodded, unable to look at him for long periods of time.

"And you said that you've claimed me?" To this he only smiled slyly and I cleared my throat. "Right, well, I'm sure you hear this all the time and all, but you really don't want me. I'm nothing special."

He chuckled at that then moved in front of me as fast as Isaac. There was something odd in the way he achieved this though. It wasn't incredible speed; more like the world slowed down around him and he'd skipped across the seconds between us.

"That is far from true, sweet Mira." The way he said my name, almost as if he savored it against his tongue. For a moment, the warmth of him closed around my skin, but with a sharp breath I managed to shake it off.

"There." he spoke, startling me, "You are able to fight me. Somehow you can pull yourself from beneath my will, as you did before with your vampire."

"No." I said, stepping away from him, "I didn't do anything. Isaac must have-"

"Your leech was nothing more than the motivation you required to fight." he said this calmly, but there was a finality in his tone that made it unquestionable. "But how is this possible?" He approached me again, backing me up to escape him with no regard for personal space. "The human mind is incapable of such strong defenses, and yet I find not a single gene in your entire body with supernatural origin."

"I honestly have no idea what your talking about." My voice shook with him so close. His scent was filling my lungs. When I licked my lips I once again remembered the wonderful taste of him and tried to ignore it. It was like my libido was set to max. Christ, what was wrong with me?

"No matter." he said "There will be time in the future for such questions, until then..."

"What was the name Isaac used?" My words tumbled out as I tried to distract him. He had that look that said he would invade my space again. The creature paused a moment, expression unreadable. "What did he call you?"

"Cernunnos." he replied flatly.

I frowned, "That's...kind of a mouthful. Do you have any others, maybe a nickname?"

"I have thousands of names, some of which can be spoken only by the trees and wind."

What an odd thing to say, and not really an answer to my question. "Do you mind if I call you Cern?"

His hinted smile returned and he gave a very human shrug, "It is acceptable. Yes."

My distraction was over though. He stepped toward me again and I found myself backing away. This didn't discourage the god however, and he let me back myself up against a large tree. One powerful arm braced against the bark beside my head, lodging my breath in my throat. The other lifted to brush the bloody, tangled curls of my hair, drifting to my shoulder. His gaze followed the path of his hand down my arm and to my waist.

"Stop." I said finally, trying to merge with the bark to escape him. "You can't just go around touching people and getting all in their space and claiming they're yours and-"

Cern leaned back with an amused little smile, searching my face. "As my consort, I have every right to touch you."

"Your what?" I asked and slipped to the side, ducking under his arm to start this game of backing away again. He watched me with a sort of animal patience, like he was stalking prey, and I didn't like it.

"My consort." he repeated, slower as if I were a child. "I believe the modern term is mistress. I have lost touch with your patterns of speech over the decades. Far too many colloquialisms. Your language has degraded since my time."

"Wait." I held up a hand, not believing what I'd just heard. "Did you just..." My head was spinning and not from blood loss. "Your mistress?"

He nodded once, watching me with that damn amused smile. "Yes, my mistress, paramour, inamorata, chatelaine." As he spoke he moved toward me, but I was too shocked to flee this time. "Bedmate. My lover."

That snapped me out of it.

"Whoa, buddy!" I held up both hands, laughing without humor. "You have the complete opposite of the right idea."

He frowned a bit, tilting his head, but perhaps it was my phrasing that confused him. Holding up a finger, I forced a tight smile.

"I don't know how it went down back in the day, but you can't just decide any random woman is your mistress. Alright? Sorry, to disappoint you, but I'm not sleeping with anyone."

"Much has changed since I slumbered. I distinctly remember your sex to be docile."

Arching an indignant brow, I crossed my arms. "You must not have met alot of women."

Cern smiled then, in a way that said oh yes he had and leaned back against the tree to stare at me. "You misunderstand. I did not mean it to offend you, little one. There have always been fiery women like you in the world. Untamable and wild. What I meant is that your upbringing has changed. Women are no longer the subordinates of men in your society."

"Exactly." I nodded, still a bit irritated, "Which brings us back to the mistress thing. It doesn't work like that anymore."

At this, the god bowed his head, sighing and pushed off the tree. When he looked back at me his smile was gone.

"But this is not so." he replied solemnly. "You were my price for the lives of your vampire and his criminal. By all rite, your body, your very life is mine to do with as I please."

When I opened my mouth to yell an angry retort, he held up a hand and suddenly was right in front of me. His fingers slid to grasp my chin, lifting it so that I looked up into his eyes. He gave me a smile that might have been charming if not for my rage.

"Do not worry yourself, little one. I can be reasonable. A consort can also be a companion, and I am a patient god."

I was shaking again, but not in fear. My fists had tightened at my sides until I couldn't feel them anymore, and I glared up at him.

"So what, I can keep my goodies to myself for now? Gee, thanks."

Cern titled his head in confusion. "Goodies?"

"Did you really want me just to sleep with me? Couldn't you find someone else, who, I don't know, actually wants you?"

He was unaffected by my rudeness and traced his thumb along my jaw. "I've already told you. It was your ability that interests me. Your body is only a convenience."

Ouch.

I pulled back, jerking my chin from his fingers and stared at the ground. What did one say to such a thing? For whatever reason, I felt that I could speak my mind to him, but with that comment, I no longer wanted to do so.

After a long moment, the god ducked his head to catch my eyes, his expression was something that might have been regret.

"I have offended you."

"Only in the literal sense." I replied, still trying to avoid his eyes. Cern sighed heavily as if getting ready to say something more, but I didn't want to hear it. "When I return to Isaac, is it only to say goodbye?"

His eyes hardened just a bit and he stood strait. This time I looked at him. "It would make sense that my consort remain at my side."

Again with the illusive answers. "So I'll just drop everything in my life and start a new one here? Is that the gist of it?"

For a moment he looked as if he would say yes, but slowly the irritation bled from his face and he sighed again. "You may return to your vampire for now," He grinned, "Unless you wish to stay."

"I..I can't."

He only shrugged, "It makes no difference to me. When I have need of you I will come. Until then, however, I feel it is unwise to send you back without first claiming you."

"Claiming?" I asked nervously, "Claiming how, exactly?"

Without warning, the god approached and took hold of my hand, pulling me toward him. I felt his touch like fire licking across my skin and opened my mouth to scream, but there was no sound. In fact, I couldn't even draw air!

The world flashed blinding white and it suddenly felt as if my lungs were collapsing. As if every breath I'd ever taken was pulled from me and as it left I felt the absence. The hollow cold. I could see the god now, standing before me with his hand just above my chest. His face was impassive as he drew the warmth from my body and into his palm. As I watched a ball of light began to grow in his hand, and I could have sworn it was coming from me. Fear held me frozen in place as the world lost sense around me. He closed his fist around the light, and it was gone.

Then, Cern released me and I sank down the trunk of a tree into the grass. My vision was slow, everything followed by tracers of light, and my ears were ringing loudly. I gasped like a drowning victim and let my head roll to the side, unable to support its weight. I felt drunk, and yet indescribable.

Cern crouched down in front of me, something like pity in his eyes, and brushed the hair from my face. "You will feel disjointed, perhaps even nauseous, but do not fear, this will pass."

"Wha...what did you..."

He only smiled. "You must sleep now, little one. Return to your vampire. We will meet again soon enough."

xXx

I'm not really sure how I managed to stand, even less how I stayed that way. But somehow I found my way back to the cabin, half-conscious. Isaac was waiting with angry black eyes but paused when he saw me.

"Mira?"

"The light went away." I murmured, starring off into nothing as I stumbled into the cabin and he shut the door. "Shiny little star and he closed it in his fist."

"Unnatural." the hiss came from the shackled Josep in the corner, who looked at me like I'd sprouted horns. "How can she be so empty? It isn't right!"

But I didn't have time to wonder what he meant by that, because the lights were fading. Then, with one last shaking breath, I feinted.